WCH CH341A Programming software help???

Discussion in 'BIOS Mods' started by acejavelin, Jan 11, 2013.

  1. acejavelin

    acejavelin MDL Novice

    Nov 9, 2012
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    OK, so I mucked up my Toshiba laptop's BIOS pretty bad, long story short I needed an external programmer to fix it and ordered a EN25T80 programmer and SIOC cable from eBay, the problem is the software the seller sent me in Chinese and I can't understand even how to load the drivers, much less actually program anything... the programmer WCH CH341A chip based programmer.

    CH341A.jpg

    Can anyone help me with drivers and software for Windows 7 64-bit that is in English?
     
  2. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

    Feb 27, 2011
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  3. acejavelin

    acejavelin MDL Novice

    Nov 9, 2012
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    Thanks!!! I'll give it a shot!
     
  4. bluecatfish

    bluecatfish MDL Junior Member

    Apr 8, 2009
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    @LatinMcG
    I read one of your post where you seem to recommending a EN25T80 programmer without jumpers. The one in the .jpg file that acejavelin posted has the jumpers. I am looking at two on eBay, item #321054208820 without the jumpers and item #140852553233 with jumpers. Item #140852553233 ships from the USA and would arrive at my location quicker than the one from China. Which programmer would you recommend.
     
  5. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

    Feb 27, 2011
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    both do same but i believe the jumpered one is older model not self selecting for voltage 3.3 to 5v.. or chip type (24xx or 25xx).. i got to find the source of this info i saw a few months ago.. or ask ebay seller.
     
  6. bluecatfish

    bluecatfish MDL Junior Member

    Apr 8, 2009
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    Thank you for this info LatinMcG. It also looks like the non-jumpered model has 2 led's and the IC's are different on each model. The only drawback is it takes about 2-3 weeks for me to receive shipments from China.
     
  7. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

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    i just got mine today.. ordered 2 weeks or less from hongkong
    and also ordered the test clip to connect it.

    had to replace the exp2010 i had because tech friend sent it back because he dont know how and its $50, what a cheapass :p
     
  8. bluecatfish

    bluecatfish MDL Junior Member

    Apr 8, 2009
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    Great! Keep me posted on how it and the software works. Did you get the one without jumpers?
     
  9. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

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    #9 LatinMcG, Jan 15, 2013
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2013
    i believe so.. its at friends house.. shipped there but im geting it in a day or 2 .. dont have any bios to recover at moment.

    something that would be cool is a list of users with programmer by city and if they are available to do recoveries with or without other experts assistance.
    i think bios-mods had something similar to send the bios chip to them to be programmed and shipped back.
     
  10. bluecatfish

    bluecatfish MDL Junior Member

    Apr 8, 2009
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    A list of people with programmers willing to help sounds like a great idea. I would definitely be one that needs an experts help! I don't understand a lot about using a hex editor to modify and combine bios files. I have read a lot of your posts about doing that. I am 80 years old and I don't grasp things as quickly as I once did! I have a HP DV5-1183CL and a Toshiba A204-S7468 laptop that I need to recover from a bad flash when I get my programmer and I will start a new thread for assistance. I really appreciate all the help you give everyone LatinMcG.
     
  11. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

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  12. bluecatfish

    bluecatfish MDL Junior Member

    Apr 8, 2009
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    On the DV5 I have tried nearly all of the older bios files and renamed different file names and extensions and used many different key combinations, but I tried again with your recommendation with the same result. I have also tried the files on a CD. I have also put the FDD in another laptop. There is no backup of the original bios on it. I did make a HP_TOOLS recovery folder on the HDD with the bios files in it. There is a log file on the HDD that shows the MB ID as 3603. I hope I can recover it with the programmer.

    The Toshiba I bought a USB floppy drive and made a crisis disk with XP but no luck. Maybe the programmer. I didn't check for the bios reset touch pads but I did remove the CMOS battery which I believe would reset the bios. Thanks for your help.
     
  13. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

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    #13 LatinMcG, Jan 16, 2013
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2013
    USB must be named HP_TOOLS
    the first folder in the USB is
    Hewlett-Packard
    the second folder
    Bios
    inside it
    Current and Previous and New folders with the bios
    however sometimes it needs a backup bios not the download but the hp bios update hardly ever does...its tricky.


    i got my programmer the chip says ATMEGA8L
    and no jumpers.
    also the Test Clip is a 10 pin plug like the one on the board but the pinouts are wrong so i have to relocate the wires to the clip.
     
  14. bluecatfish

    bluecatfish MDL Junior Member

    Apr 8, 2009
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    That is the way my USB drive is set up. I have used different brand USB drives fro 2GB to 16GB format fat and fat32 non bootable and bootable. USB always flashes 1 time when powered on and noting else. Tried it W/WO HDD, CD drive, battery, battery only, ac only. LED'S light up and HDD activity LED flashes rapidly. On some key combinations cap led and number led light up and with some key combinations they don't. I guess I will have to wait for the programmer.
     
  15. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

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    i put a chip on socket of programmer and tried many programs.. got 1 to work almost!.
    it reads blank.
    im going to contact ebay seller if he has proper soft.
     
  16. hfg

    hfg MDL Novice

    Nov 18, 2013
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    Hi there.
    Can't understand the jumpers on the single row, please help with their meaning.
    So far the last two pins, if shorted, will make the programmer to apear in Device Manager under Interface branch as USB/EPP/I2C... CH341A.
    IF not shorted the programmer will apear in Device Manager under Ports as USB-SERIAL CH341A (COM3).

    Help with the rest of the pins appreciated.
    Thanks in advance.
     
  17. hfg

    hfg MDL Novice

    Nov 18, 2013
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    For the record:

    With the jumper in short, hardware ID of my EN2580T CH341A programmer is: USB\VID_1A86&PID_5512
    Without the jumper I can see a different hardware ID, now it becomes USB\VID_1A86&PID_5523

    Still don't know the meaning of the rest of the jumpers/pins. Help?

    I've tried to measure the voltage on the pins. The 3.3V pin is indeed for 3.3V but all other pins gives me about 5V (the same value as I get on the USB port).


    Is this 5V voltage on the DATA pins ok for programming chips?

    jumper_explained.jpg jumper_on.png jumper_off.png
     
  18. hfg

    hfg MDL Novice

    Nov 18, 2013
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    Managed to find a wiki page (in chinese) that explains a couple of things but it is for a different board (other pins, other layout).
    Also there are links to download the software (i think is trial) and drivers. Also some link to some blog, I guess is the blog of author.

    URL here: see .sl088.com/wiki/CH341A (use google translate)
     
  19. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

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    i know for sure one of them is to select 3.3 or 5 volt